Sankar Gompa

Sankar gompa is a subsidiary of Spitok, having the same head lama. Sankar is easily visited on foot from Leh, lying as it does in Leh's suburbs. The gompa is 90 years old but is located on the site of a small temple that was built some 500 years ago. About 25 lamas of the yellow-hat sect are attached to Sankar gompa but only a few live here permanently. Thus it is only open to the public from 7 to 10 am and from 5 to 7 pm. From the street one enters the gompa's front yard. To the right are a few steps climbing up to the double doors that open onto the Dukhang. The entrance porch has paintings of the Guardian of the Four Directions on either side of the entry door. On the left wall of the verandah is a "Wheel of Life" held by Yama, the deity that determines a person's future fate after death. The right verandah wall depicts the Old Man of Long Life. The Dukhang's side walls have new paintings of various Buddhas, while guardian divinities appear on either side of the entrance hall. In the Dukhang opposite the entrance is a throne reserved for the gompa's head lama. To the left of the throne are colorful butter sculptures made by mixing butter and barley flour. Further to the left is a glass-fronted case containing the image of Yamadhaka, a fierce guardian divinity.

To the right of the throne is an image of Avalokitesvara with 1000 arms and 11 heads. Avalokitesvara is also known as the "Lord of All He Surveys" and is believed to be reincarnated in the Dalai Lama. On either side of the throne seat are doors to a small chapel. The central image is of Tsong-kha-pa, founder of the yellow-hat sect of Buddhism and his two chief disciples. Below the disciples are images of Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) on either side of Tsong-kha-pa. To the left is an image of Avalokitesvara, again with 1,000 arms and 11 heads (nine Bodhisattva heads, one head angry at the suffering in the world and a Buddha head on top). To the right is a case containing Tibetan bronzes. Against the right wall is a White Guardian and a mandala of Amchi (the Buddha of Medicine). Exiting the Dukhang, turn left, go through a door and up one flight of steps. Immediately on the left is a door leading into a small inner courtyard. The walls of this courtyard are painted with the Tibetan calendar (which resembles a large chessboard) and murals depicting the proper way for lamas to live. A long mural across the top of one side of the courtyard shows Sakyamuni (the Historical Buddha) in the middle flanked by his two chief disciples. On the far right of this mural is Tsong-kha-pa and on the far left is Atisa, an Indian Buddhist and teacher of Buddhism in Tibet. Diagonally opposite the door entering into this courtyard is the entrance to the Dukar Lokhang, a small temple devoted to the deity Dukar. The main image is a very imposing statue of Dukar, inset with turquoise and shown with 1,000 arms, 1,000feet, 1,000heads, and 100,000 eyes. Numerous bangle bracelets have been left as offerings by women devotees at the feet of this deity. To the left of the Dukar is a case containing various bronze images. On the right is a statue of Maitreya (the Buddha of the Future) and another case of bronze statues. Directly over the front porch of the gompa is the Kandshur, the 108 vloumes of Buddha's teachings and images of the Three Buddhas - Sakyamuni (the Post Buddha), the Present Buddha and Maitreya (the Future Buddha).